Unique perspectives
My journey is not typical for a statistics doctoral student. I was raised in rural Maine. My academic background began in economics and public policy, but it was my fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish that enabled me to apply academic achievements to work in multiple countries. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, a Fulbright Scholar in Portugal, and a Boren Fellow in Turkey. I then became Financial Director of the Turkish Grameen Microfinance Program, using statistics to show the effect of micro-loans in a population of low-income Turkish and Kurdish women. Subsequently, in Mozambique I was the field coordinator for a baseline survey on child vaccination run by MIT’s Jameel Poverty Action Lab. In Portuguese, I managed a team of native Mozambicans to collect household data in rural villages; this required me not only to oversee scientific goals and to manage data protocols, but also to camp in tents, procure local roosters for dinner, and avoid venomous snakes. These experiences required technical knowledge, people skills, and grit.
To say the least, I have enjoyed working with teams from diverse backgrounds. I believe my unique industry experiences can offer new perspectives and useful applications for statistics and machine learning, particularly in emerging markets where the uptake of such tools is in its infancy.
Education
- Ph.D candidate, Statistics and Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon Univeresity (2021-present)
- M.S. in Mathematics and Statistics, Georgetown University, 2019
- M.P.A., The Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 2012
- M.A. in Economics, The Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 2012
- M.A. in International Relations, The Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 2012
- B.A. in International Studies and Spanish (Honors), Summa Cum Laude, Dickinson College, 2006
- Massabesic High School, Waterboro, Maine, 2002
Work experience (abbreviated)
- Data Scientist, Inter-American Development Bank – Washington, D.C. (2018-2021)
- Business Intelligence Consultant, Inter-American Development Bank – Washington, D.C. (2015-2017)
- Research Associate, Jameel Poverty Action Lab - Nampula, Mozambique (2014-2015)
- Financial Director, Turkish Grameen Microfinance Program - Ankara, Turkey (2012-2013)
- David L. Boren Fellow – Ankara, Turkey (2012)
- Fulbright Scholar – Lisbon, Portugal (2008-2009)
- U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer – El Cambio, Ecuador (2006-2008)
- Food server at various lobster restaurants - Ogunquit, Maine (summers, 2002-2005)
Personal interests
I love painting, especially portraits. I have taken art classes from an early age at the Maine College of Art and from various artists in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
I like having fun nails and nifty makeup as another form of creative personal expression.
I like to run. Pittsburgh has excellent hills, which is one reason I chose CMU. I also sometimes play pick-up soccer.
I love raising pet chickens. I grew up on a farm in Maine and I sold eggs to neighbors. I also had a pet chicken in Mozambique.
